OUR MISSION
UniCycle supports students and families in unstable housing situations by supporting and supplementing the work of the Homeless Education Resource Office within Metro Nashville Public Schools. Our signature school uniform recycling program provides Standard School Attire to students in need by collecting gently-used clothing items in schools and redistributing them at both the school level and through the HERO program, lessening the task for MNPS support staff and parents, offering more clothing choices to students whose families have limited school clothing budgets, and giving new life to clothing that is “outgrown, not worn out.” UniCycle’s HERO Family Fund further removes barriers for students and families by providing access to critical daily necessities such as transportation assistance and emergency household or hygiene items.
OUR GOALS
- A UniCycle Closet program at each MNPS school: we aim to host closets in all MNPS schools so that HERO and other students have on-site access to items they need each day
- A consistent and sustainable flow of incoming clothing donations through an engaged network of school and community partners
- Annual funding to allow the UniCycle Closet program to continue at the present volume of impact, with at least 20,000 items of clothing being distributed throughout the school system each year
- Expansion of support to HERO families through the community-funded HERO Family Fund that provides access to critical daily needs that are not covered by another nonprofit or resource
